Worcester Magazine November 8 - 14, 2018

NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

NEWS • ARTS • DINING • NIGHTLIFE

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Never Forget

Memorial Grove keeps alive Worcester’s ties to WWI

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in this issue N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018 • V O L U M E 44 I S S U E 11

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Never Forget: Memorial Grove keeps alive Worcester’s ties to WWI Story on page 12

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Photos courtesy of Cynthia Shenette/heritagezen.blogspot.com Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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news

DA Early wins fourth term over challenger Rubin WALTER BIRD JR.

reforms. Thanks to our community outreach programs, we have seen a dramatic drop in violent and juven the end, voters decided it wasn’t quite time for Joe to go. nile crime across the county.”

Vowing his office was not done District Attorney Joe Early Jr., on an election day that saw yet, Early assured residents he would “continue fighting for our heavy voter turnout many tied directly to a referendum on President community and the people of Worcester County every single day.”

Donald Trump, scored a fourth Rubin, meanwhile, said he was term in office, as the incumbent proud of the campaign he ran, and Democrat soundly beat back was effusive in his praise of his a challenge from Independent supporters. first-time challenger Blake Rubin “I’m very proud of each and Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Early defeated Rubin by roughly every person that worked as hard as humanly possible for me, for a 70-30 percent, with 164,672 votes cause I believe in with my heart,” to Rubin’s 73,782, according to the the 52-year-old defense attorney, most recent numbers available who once worked for Early as a before this story went to press. prosecutor, said. “I’m just amazed The resounding win came just and thankful for my family and days after his opponent, whose my friends and the hundreds and campaign slogan was “It’s time hundreds of people I never knew for Joe to go,” had called on him before I got involved in this race, to resign. When all was said and that just came out and worked done, however, Early held onto their tails off for me, and joined in his seat, the results putting to bed one of the more bitterly-contested a cause I believe in.”

It was a hard-fought campaign campaigns of the 2018 election in that saw Rubin accuse Early of Worcester County, with the DA preparing to serve four more years. lying, failing to recruit people of color in his office and being soft “It has been the greatest on crime. Early, meanwhile, kept a privilege and honor of my life to relatively low press profile during serve the people of Worcester County for the last 12 years as your the campaign, save for the lone debate between the two candidates, District Attorney,” the 61-year-old an Oct. 22 tilt at Worcester State Early said in remarks delivered to University where Rubin called out a jubilant crowd of supporters at Early on what easily had become El Basha restaurant on Park Ave. the biggest issue of the campaign.

“Over the course of this election, I The 2017 arrest of a Dudley have had the opportunity to speak with thousands of residents across District Court judge’s daughter, Alli Bibaud, by State Police, and Worcester County about our successful work preventing crime, pro- the subsequent changing of her tecting victims, tackling the opioid arrest report ignited a firestorm of crisis head-on with understanding controversy. It set off a sequence of events that ultimately saw the and compassion, and our efforts resignation of, among others, the to strengthen the criminal justice State Police’s top cop, Col. Rich system including through key

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Joe Early Jr. celebrates his win on election night at El Basha restaurant in Worcester.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

McKeon, and saw Early referred to the state Ethics Commission amid claims he was involved in the altering of the original arrest report, which reportedly contained comments from Bibaud regarding the exchange of sexual favors for drugs as well as for leniency from police. Early has steadfastly denied the allegation, positioning himself

as a “compassionate” DA who was ensuring Bibaud would not be subject to prejudice before her right to a trial.

During the campaign, Early accused Rubin of sensationalizing the case and smearing Bibaud’s reputation. He accused Rubin of running a negative campaign, something Rubin brushed off Tuesday night.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I ran a complete issues campaign.

Each and every issue I raised was factual. I brought to the public’s attention facts that I supported with data of things, incidents, issues that I disagreed with in how [Early] ran his office. I think his characterization of running a negative cam-

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news

LeBoeuf knocks Fullen to take 17th Worcester seat BILL SHANER

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avid LeBoeuf is the new state rep. for the 17th Worcester District, beating Paul Fullen to replace Republican Kate Campanale and flip the swing district in Democrat hands.

LeBoeuf called the victory at his campaign party. He took 59 percent of the vote, per unofficial results.

The race was a heated one, marked by negative mailers, a divisive candidates forum and allegations of ethical breaches. It pitched a staunchly-progressive Democrat in LeBoeuf against a hard-right Republican in Fullen in what has been a swing district, in at least the

last decade. The 17th Worcester District comprises all of Leicester and South Worcester.

Capping his speech at his election night party at Zorba’s in Worcester, LeBoeuf commented on the tenor of the race.

“In this campaign, they went low, and we went to vote,” he said.

“And we won.”

In Leicester, Fullen won by about 400 votes, at 2,467 to 2,049, amid higher-than-usual turnout, at 62 percent.

But in Worcester, with similarly high turnout, LeBoeuf earned 4,729 votes to Fullen’s 2,183, a 68-32 percent margin.

LeBoeuf ran on a platform of using state government to provide residents of South Worcester and

David LeBoeuf addresses supporters after the election at Zorba’s.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

Leicester with tangible, life-improving benefits, like better access to health care, better state universal pre-kindergarten services, and state support for local small businesses.

Fullen ran on a fiscally- and socially-conservative platform of hardline cuts to social services such as MassHealth, investment in C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 7

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news

2018 Election Roundup BILL SHANER

U.S. 2nd Congressional

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.S. Congressman Jim McGovern won another term, besting a challenge from Grafton Republican Tracy Lovvorn. As this story went to press, McGovern took 68 percent of the vote, with 87 percent of precincts reporting.

McGovern stands poised to become chair of the powerful House Rules Committee, with Democrats regaining control of the House on election night.

At his campaign event at El Basha restaurant on Park Ave. in Worcester, McGovern said the victory comes during difficult times.

“Like all of you here, I have been offended by what has happened and the way our president has conducted himself,” he said. But this campaign and this victory is about decency, it is about standing

up to the injustices of Washington and saying our values matter.”

Lovvorn could not be reached for comment by press time.

Clerk of Courts

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emocratic incumbent Dennis McManus called victory in his race against Charlton Republican Joanne Powell. He announced the victory on his Facebook page. At press time, he had 61 percent of the vote, with 82 percent of precincts reporting.

“We worked hard over the last six months, we’re satisfied with the win and happy it was such a big win,” said McManus. “Now we just head back to work tomorrow and just keep doing what we’re doing.”

Powell said she called to concede and congratulated McManus on his victory.

“I think I worked as hard as I possibly could. I went everywhere I

could trying to get the word out as much as possible,” she said. “It was a good, clean campaign, neither side got negative. It just seemed like our race was typical of what happened throughout the county and throughout the state.”

Register of Deeds

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emocrat and real estate lawyer Katie Toomey beat out Republican state Rep. Kate Campanale to keep the Registry of Deeds in Democrat hands.

Toomey will replace longtime Register Anthony Vigliotti. As of Wednesday morning, she had taken 52 percent of the vote, with 89 percent of precincts reporting.

Toomey said it was a long and hard-fought campaign.

“I have never done this before and I was truly impressed with C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E

U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern will return for another term.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

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C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5

public safety and staffing schools with national guard officers. He’s against abortion rights and said the city should scrap its bus service wholesale.

In an interview with Worcester Magazine, Fullen remarked that the district is apparently “getting more and more to the left.”

Fullen pushed back against accusations of racism tied to some of his remarks during the campaign, including a debate during which he said Worcester has “some of the richest poor people in the world.” He made another comment about seeing a woman ask for a waiver of her MassHealth copay, only to leave the store and drive off in an Escalade.

“I’m not racist,” Fullen said.

“I’ve lived side by side with guys of every race and creed, in the military and the fire department.

I treat everyone with respect and dignity.”

LeBoeuf largely steered clear of directly attacking his opponent, but Fullen and the State

Republican Party worked to pitch LeBoeuf as a politician with dangerous ideas. In one mailer sent by the state Republican Party, LeBoeuf is pictured holding a sign reading “ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIENS WELCOME.” Fullen was quoted in several outlets calling LeBoeuf “extreme.”

After his victory speech, LeBoeuf said his next move is to continue building coalitions in the community ahead of January, when he officially takes office.

“Making sure that I’m just as present in the next couple months as I was when I was on the campaign, I’m going to reach out to some people who may not have been with me the whole time, to earn their support,” he said.

Walter Bird, Jr. contributed to this report.

At press time, Caissie was up 52-48 percent, with 80 percent of C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 6 precincts reporting, but the race everyone. I now realize why people had not yet been officially called.

Still, Caissie’s husband Burke thank you for running for office. I Desautels said by phone Wednesget it,” she said. day morning the Caissie camp had She praised Campanale for runthe votes. ning a good, clean race.

“Everyone worked really hard, “I applaud her for her hard they came out in north county and work,” said Toomey. in south county,” he said.

Speaking for Campanale, 6th The race pit Caissie, the inWorcester District state Rep. Peter cumbent Republican, against a Durant, who served as her camprogressive Democrat challenger paign manager, said the Trump effect on the GOP may have played in DePalo. Caissie and DePalo both ran on a commitment to picking into the loss.. the best judges for the state, but “I think, unfortunately, what with drastically-different priorities. we’re seeing here in MassachuDePalo vowed to pick judges with setts, anyway, is a Trump effect,” a strong criminal justice record, he said. “I’m not saying it’s a blue wave, because I’m not ready to call in an effort to steer the state away from harsh sentencing. Caissie’s it that … but it was a strong turnpriorities are more geared toward out, and the turnout, when you look at the numbers, were coming the Second Amendment and victim’s rights. in strong for Democrats.”

DePalo said Caissie ran a smart campaign, but he’s proud of his Governor’s Council ncumbent Jen Caissie beat chal- own.

“We stuck to the issues that lenger Paul DePalo by a narrow mattered to us and executed well,” margin to retain her seat on the he said.

Governor’s Council.

DA RACE

sional throughout the entire race with me,” Rubin said. “They were true professionals. They were good people who treated me with the paign is false, but once again this is utmost respect. I complimented coming from a man who has been Joe on the fact he was able to shown, on numerous occasions, to somehow keep the politics out of have said one thing and then said the courtroom.” another.”

Rubin, saying he “worked his At least one Early voter, howbutt off ” during the campaign, said ever, said he was turned off by Early told him he was proud of the Rubin’s campaign. effort he put into the race.

“I just thought it was too aggresFor his part, Early praised his sive, too combative,” Shrewsbury’s employees, who he said “do such a Joe Duquette said. “He’s just too great job.” negative for me.”

“They go unrecognized day in Duquette also said he was and day out,” he said of the 165 not turned off from Early by the people who work for him. “They’re Bibaud case or other issues Rubin in the trenches every day helpraised. ing victims of crime. I ran on a Rubin said he called Early to theme 12 years ago of prevention, congratulate him on his win. He saying I’d rather prevent a crime also complimented the DA on the than have to solve a crime. What’s conduct of his assistant district happened? Juvenile delinquency attorneys, against whom Rubin complaints are down 57 percent. If practiced in court during the you want to get numbers down in campaign. the jail, you attack at the juvenile “The most important thing I was level.” impressed with was the way his Early touted his office’s nationassistant DAs reamined profesC O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4

ally-accredited Child Advocacy Center, the first in Worcester County; doubling the size of his victim witness staff from 11 to 23; diversion and outreach programs; and other efforts.

“It’s all made a difference,” he said, “and the voters, they recognized that. They’re very smart.

They said to us, ‘Please keep up the fight.’”

As for ways he could improved the DA’s office, including the lack of diversity, Early said, “We’re always trying to get better, no matter what it is. One thing about a campaign is it makes you look at a lot of things you’re doing and say, ‘Can we get better? How do we get better?’ You can always get better.”

With the election over, Rubin said his next step is diving back into his law practice. He also said he and his partner have to find a new office, because who they were leasing from moved.

ROUNDUP

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worcesteria

A SMOOTH RUN: Kudos to the all the local clerks and election workers

who handled a higher-than-expected volume of voters without any major incident, or at least none that I saw or heard about, and trust me, I was looking. We may have our problems here in Massachusetts but look up the election problems in Georgia. Sheesh. Turnout was high across the region. In Leicester, a whopping 62 percent; in Worcester, a very healthy 45 percent. And those are the only two towns I was tasked with focusing on. I heard from others across the state that it was the same everywhere. Even though it got kind of annoying toward the end, everyone in my social media feeds was shouting at each other to go vote constantly for like two weeks. It filled my cold little heart with warmth to see my typically-disengaged group of friends get a little active. If you’ll abide me, a quick reminder: Voting isn’t everything, so let’s keep this civic momentum going, shall we? There are plenty of great organizations that need volunteers and monetary support, and there’s a good, but small group of locals for whom the organizing never stops.

The city elections are coming up next year, and people are starting to think about that now. Send me a line if you want to get more involved in what us nerds call coalition building, and I’ll do what I can to connect you.

ALL FULLS DOWN: In a news story, the way to frame the 17th

Worcester state rep. seat is that David LeBoeuf won. Here in Worcesteria, though, the proper way to frame this race is that Paul Fullen lost. And he lost hard. And thank God he did. When I saw turnout so high in Leicester midday Tuesday, I was nervous we might have to actually abide Mr. Richest Poor People In The World filing bills in the Statehouse to ax MassHealth and ban abortion. Luckily, he only took the conservative town by a mere 400 votes, and we don’t have that problem. But that doesn’t mean Fullen is going away. He indicated in a post-election interview with my esteemed editor that he’s considering a run against Mayor Joe Petty or state Sen. Mike Moore. My advice to him, if he chooses to do that, is to first learn how to get up in front of a crowd and not say racist things.

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N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

THE 016: Mark Henderson, previously of the now-defunct Worces-

ter Sun, has launched what appears to be a Worcester-based social media platform called The 016 (the016.com). Earlier this week, he tweeted a link to the site, accompanied with “Hello, World!” In a post on the homepage, the site is described like this: “Share, follow and read what’s going on and help build the online community you want and The 016 deserves.” It appears to be set up a little bit like Reddit, but divided into topics the way a newspaper would. I haven’t had the time to really dig into it yet. Could be cool, could be another failed innovation, but hey, credit where credit is due. Henderson is trying to build his own farm on this cold, barren soil of local journalism.

CHAIRMAN MCGOVERN: Perhaps the most significant local outcome

of the Not-So-Great Blue Wave is that Congressman Jim McGovern stands poised to chair the Rules Committee in a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. The committee decides how bills get to the floor for debate and how they get debated. It’s basically the spigot through which potential policy drips or pours. And now McGovern’s hand is right on it – righty tighty, lefty loosey. This is important because in Congress so many bills do not make it to debate on the floor at all.

This is one of McGovern’s most consistent attack lines against the GOP – that they won’t bring important issues like immigration and gun reform to a vote. Can he do anything to change that? Maybe! Who knows. There’s a million and a half reasons why a Democrat controlled House in this political climate is interesting to watch. Now, our very own congressBill Shaner, reporter man is one wshaner@worcestermag.com of them.

Twitter: @Bill_Shaner

news

the beat

The Cannabis Control Commission has zeroed in on Union Station as

the location for its main office. The state regulatory board for legal pot and the Worcester Redevelopment Authority have entered a conditional agreement, pending they can agree on the details of the lease. The office will be on the second floor of the station, and commissioners in the past have said they chose Worcester because of the central location. Meanwhile, the CCC is planning to issue final approval for stores to open in the next few weeks, and Cultivate in Leicester is at the front of the queue.

Worcester has found its prefered architect for the new ballpark project in the Canal District. Officials asked D’Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects for a bid last week after ranking the firm their top choice. D’AIQ worked on improvements to Fenway Park, the Rose Bowl and Dodgers Stadium in the past.

The next and possibly final public meeting for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s project to fix Kelley Square takes

place Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Worcester Academy Performance Center at 14 Marion Ave. The meeting follows one earlier this month in which MassDOT put forward several possible plans, including roundabouts and traffic lights.

The Canal District is getting a fat check for streetscape improve-

ments. The area is slated for a $400,000 MassWorks grant intended to go toward the streets directly around the new Harding Green development between the Crompton Building and Kelley Square.

Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying people respon-

sible for trashing field houses full of Little League baseball equipment and maintenance supplies at Vernon Hill Park. Officers were called to the park Sunday morning to find the locks destroyed and the insides trashed. Those with information are asked to send an anonymous text to 274637 beginning with TIPWPD.

Northbridge is getting a new high school after voters there OK’d a debt exclusion on the ballot Tuesday to fund the project. The project passed by a wide margin and means an average of $2-per-1,000-squarefoot property tax increase for the next 30 years.

The Worcester area economy has grown at a 4.1 percent rate in its third quarter, according to the Worcester Economic Index kept by Assumption economists, who said it’s a sign of a healthy labor market.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Tatnuck Square Papa Gino’s told Worcester Magazine he was horrified by the abrupt closures. Beth Proko, owner, said the company had just renewed a five-year lease, and closed without notice.

The closings came after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

Papa Gino’s closed locations around the region, including Worcester, earlier this week. The owner of the

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opinion editorial

School recess, lunch time important

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N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

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e hear a lot of talk about how to improve overall student academic performance.

One of the most logical has been among the most overlooked: lunch time and recess for students. And no, it should not just be at the elementary level. Across the board, at all levels, students should be given more time to buy and eat their lunch, followed by an appropriate amount of break or recess time.

Kudos to School Committee member Molly McCullough for raising the issue here, where it should be noted, students are given 30-minute recess times each day. A district-wide policy may be in order, and while schools may vary in their curricular setup and needs, as noted

by School Committee member John Monfredo, this is an area where consistency is key.

It is important, with so much emphasis on test scores, that the nutritional and physical well-being of students — particular our youngest — not be ignored.

It is important to note the tiein between what students are eating as well as recess time.

Lunch is important, but so too are the breaks kids get to either be outside or otherwise take

72 Shrewsbury St. Worcester, MA 01604 worcestermag.com Editorial 508.767.9527 editor@worcestermag.com Sales 508.767.9530 sales@worcestermag.com President Paul M. Provost Publisher Kathleen Real-Benoit Editor Walter Bird Jr.

a break. For younger students, running around outside during recess may prove more enticing than eating whatever was served in school or sent from home. And having enough time to eat is crucial as well. As McCullough noted, Worcester does not have a policy over how long students have to eat their meals.

If it hasn’t already, the school district could look to a study at the University of Illinois that found the duration and timing of lunch and recess was related to food choices and physical activity of school children.

Researchers found children consumed a greater proportion of vegetables when lunch was offered before recess, although less food was wasted when recess came before lunch; that children who had more time for a combined lunch and recess period were “proportionally more physically active when lunch was offered before recess”; and that, when the lunch-recess period was shorter, children were more active when recess was offered before lunch.

It is a positive sign that school officials in Worcester are having the discussion.

Academics is what first comes to mind when we think of the function of schools, but the overall development of a child

is critical during these formative years, and physical health and nutrition must not be ignored.

Studies show a direct correlation between student health and academic performance, including dropping out of school.

Starting in elementary school, it is worth developing a consistent approach to lunch time and recess, with close monitoring to determine the best possible outcomes.

Culture Editor Joshua Lyford Reporter Bill Shaner Photographer Elizabeth Brooks Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell, Janice Harvey, Jim Keogh, Jessica Picard, Jim Perry, Khrystina Reardon, Corlyn Voorhees Director of Creative Services Don Cloutier Creative Director Kimberly Vasseur Ad Director Helen Linnehan Media Consultant Diane Galipeau Media Coordinator Madison Friend WORCESTER MAGAZINE is an independent news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manu-

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opinion It can happen here JANICE HARVEY

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eadlines are annoying things, especially when you write for a weekly newspaper. This column will appear two days after the midterm elections, and I’m writing it 48 hours before the polls open. This limits me, since my crystal ball was smashed to bits after the presidential election of 2016. I know what I hope will be the outcome; I’m completely baffled as to what it will be. Never before in all my voting life have I had to factor in voter suppression, ballot manipulation, foreign interference and blind cult membership when trying to predict elections. If the past ten days are any indication of the chaos that may await us, I’m glad that crystal ball met the ball peen hammer.

The day after a horrific attack on a Pennsylvania synagogue left 11 worshippers dead, I attended

a 95th birthday party for Esther Wittner, a dear friend’s mother.

Esther is quite remarkable. She has lived long enough to witness all kinds of despicable behavior, and as a Jewish woman she most certainly recognizes blind hate when she sees it. She sees it and rejects it. She has lived her life with her face to the sun, refusing to allow negativity, bigotry or anti-Semitism to cloud her outlook. The restaurant was packed with friends and family from both coasts, gladly flying in to celebrate another year of her beautiful spirit here on Earth. And though not a soul mentioned the unspeakable horror that occurred a day earlier, surely it was on their minds. How could it not be?

That evening, I read a post on Facebook, written by former Worcester Magazine reporter Scott Zoback. He was just a 22-year-old kid when he started with the paper, but even then he

showed a rare talent for digging at the story and writing it with style.

The grandson of two women who fled the Holocaust, Zoback began his post with a simple and powerful truth: “I am a Jew.” He went on to describe with raw candor and eloquence the birthright that “comes with a burden,” the burden he explained “of learning young that there are people who would always despise me, sometimes violently, for who I am.”

“I am a Jew. I am scared,” Zoback continued. “Make no mistake: anti-Semitism and hate are on the rise in America, fueled by those who legitimize it through dog whistles, coded speech, and false equivalencies. It scares me as a Jew and as a human.

“I am a Jew. I am angry.”

“I’m angry at those in power who sow seeds of hate and then feign surprise when they see buds,

blossoms and flowers.

“I’m angry at people tossing gasoline on a spark and being ‘sad’ when they see flames.”

Zoback’s words filled my head and heart the next day, as I returned to the classroom, continuing to teach “Maus,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel by Art Spiegelman. “Maus” is Spiegelman’s brilliant anthropomorphic depiction of the Holocaust, and his parents’ struggle to survive the concentration camps. It’s a fine line these days, teaching without preaching, and I grappled with the decision to mention the synagogue slaughter. But the parallels were the elephant in the room. I thought it best to “seize the teaching moment” explaining simply, and in a nonpartisan manner, that we as Americans have lived with the fantasy that “it can’t happen here.” It can, and it does.

A student from Yemen, who witnessed his brother’s murder

and was himself arrested and held before finally making his way to America—with what was left of his family—sat silently. Finally, I saw the slightest nod of his head.

He knows hatred. He has seen it, up close and personal.

I am not Jewish. But like Scott Zoback and millions of others, I am scared, and I am angry. I say this not as a Christian or as a member of any religion, but as a human. This terrible burden we must all share.

Janice Harvey contributing writer

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feature

Never Forget Memorial Grove keeps alive Worcester’s ties to WWI

KRISTINA REARDON

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N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

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hen members of American Legion Post 5 planted a tree for each service member who died in World War I in 1928, 10 years after what was known as the Great War ended, they could not have imagined the space they staked out at Green Hill Park — known as Memorial Grove — would later become an outdoor theater featuring Shakespeare in the park and then fall into disrepair.

But when Worcester comes together Sunday, Nov. 11 in Green Hill Park to commemorate the centennial of the war’s end on Armistice Day — now known as Veterans Day — a newlydesigned grove will be unveiled, and Memorial Grove’s status as a living memorial to the more than 300 Worcester men and women who lost their lives in WWI will be restored.

“I think visiting this memorial will be similar to visiting the Vietnam wall,” said Brian McCarthy, president of the Green Hill Park Coalition. “I think it’s going to be that powerful, to see all the names of the people that died and the days they died.”

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing from the start. When McCarthy

Worcester WWI service at a glance

conceived the restoration project in 2015, there were several obstacles: many of the original trees planted in 1928 had died off. The amphitheater, which so many had enjoyed in the past few decades, cut across the middle of the living memorial space—and some in the community did not want to see it go. The bronze plates that originally listed the names of the service members who died in WWI were long gone. Rumor has it they were stolen by the 1960s and sold to a scrap dealer. Replacing them was not a straightforward task: the records of those who died in the war are conflicting, and McCarthy and others working on the project did not want to unintentionally leave anyone out.

And then there was the question of labor and funding: would the city rally around the restoration of a memorial for a war which today has no living veterans?

“I’ve had people argue with me that money is for the living, not for the dead,” said McCarthy. “But Brian McCarthy stands in Memorial Grove, where steel pipes have been erected to to me, if somebody goes off to war honor World War I veterans of Worcester. for this country and dies and never ELIZABETH BROOKS has children, and they never meet “People are going to be able to mean it, or we don’t mean it, ” said door theater space failed to come their mothers and fathers and come and use this space, ” he said, City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. “In forward with a plan to restore the sisters and brothers again—if they “and the grove is going to grow theater, the city agreed to contrib- Worcester we mean it.” went off for us and died, the least and be something that generations Derek Lirange, community we can do is respect their memory.” ute about $1 million to fund the moving forward will be able to forrester for the Worcester Tree restoration of Memorial Grove.

In the end, the city quickly “When we say that we will never Initiative, notes the space is for the enjoy.” agreed. After advocates of the outAugustus said the city’s commitliving. forget people’s service, either we

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rian McCarthy of the Green Hill Park Coalition compiled data on veterans from Worcester who served in the First World War. The Worcester Memorial Auditorium lists 355 World War I veterans from the city. There are 379 being honored in Memorial Grove. That number was reached after compiling date from the AUD, the state and city Gold Star lists, and two newspapers.

“Neither of the lists matched perfectly with any others,” McCarthy said, “so we collected each name from each list and compiled them to arrive at the final number of 379.”

The veterans represented various branches of the Armed Forces.

McCarthy tracked the service of 375 veterans. Below, WWI Worcester veterans by the numbers:

Branches of the Armed Forces: 312 members of the U.S. Army 27 members of the U.S. Navy 12 members of the U.S. Marine Corps 21 served with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces 3 served with the British Expeditionary Forces Demographic Breakdown: 69 were immigrants 75 were first-generation Americans

The deceased include: 256 privates 14 seamen 43 corporals 1 warrant officer 22 sergeants 25 lieutenants 5 captains 2 majors 1 colonel 2 women

feature ment to the project was “us as a city keeping a promise not to forget the sacrifice of these veterans.”

WORCESTER WAR MEMORIALS

WWI through her grandfather’s eyes

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Shenette was born, but his stories survived through her grandmother—and the photos she found.

“They’re very tiny photos,” Shenette said, noting she thought they came from a brownie camera— which produced photos that were 2.25 square inches.

Shenette graciously agreed to open up her family photo album for Worcester Magazine. She chronicles her grandfather’s story on her genealogy blog, heritagezen. blogspot.com.

Above, Feb. 7 and 17, 1918. Camp Hancock in Augusta, Ga. Shenette suspects her grandfather enlisted in December 1917 and was at Camp Hancock for military training before he was sent to Europe. Left, Rocky Mountain, SC. Shenette’s grandfather leaning out the window of a train. She deciphered the chalk writing on the side of the train: “Going to GET the Kaiser” and “Scranton, PA Aviation Regulars Going to Berlin via France.” Below, Shenette’s grandmother, Antonia (Bulak) Szerejko and her sister, Helen Bulak, pose with a group of Red Cross volunteers in front of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church on Ward Street in Worcester.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CYNTHIA SHENET TE/HERITAGEZEN.BLOGSPOT.COM

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few years ago, when Holden resident Cynthia Shenette, a genealogist and librarian at the Goddard Library at Clark University, was cleaning out her mother’s house, she hat promise not to forget stumbled upon a treasure trove of family photos. Among them were the sacrifice of First World War veterans was several photos of her grandfather, Adolf Szerejko, serving in World War borne out in Worcester I. Among them were shots of her in three places: in 1928 at Memorial Grove; in 1933 at the Worcester grandfather serving in France and Memorial Auditorium (commonly at training camps in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina—as referred to as “The AUD”), which features extensive murals by Leon Kroll and an honor roll of WWI veterans; and in 1935 at what has been called the whispering wall in Lincoln Square.

Worcester was not unlike other American communities in the 1920s. In the wake of the war and the widespread deaths in 1918 and 1919 as the result of the Spanish influenza, towns across the country erected memorials – often tree groves, with one tree issued per service member who died in the conflict.

“World War I memorials were a nationwide phenomenon,” said Ruth Seward, director of the Worcester Tree Initiative. “There was so much carnage with this war, and people lost so many loved ones that were so close to them that it was the federal government that began these plantings, offering well as stacks of aviation postcards.

Many families, she noted, “have the people a tree for their loved one. formal photos of the guys, but they And it was just an overwhelming don’t have the little candids.” project.”

Szerejko, born in Warsaw in “The country,” McCarthy added, “is covered with memorial groves.” 1895, immigrated to the U.S. in Yet, perhaps because World War 1914, passing through Ellis Island with one brother. His parents had II followed so quickly after WWI, sent him to America to avoid the a national memorial to WWI was fate of his older brother, who had never built in Washington, D.C. been conscripted into the Russian And WWI memorials across the country — from groves, to statues, Army. He made 55 Lafayette St. in Worcester his home. to fields and other memorials — Just three years after arriving in have fallen into disrepair. the U.S., he registered for the draft Locally, the AUD was placed on in June 1917. By December 15, he the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, but in 2009 Lincoln had enlisted as a private, first class, in the U.S. Army Air Service in the Square — including the AUD 2nd company, 3rd regiment of the — was listed as one of the most Air Service Mechanics.

Szerejko died in 1959, before C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 14

feature COURTESY OF WORCESTER TELEGRAM & GAZET TE

MEMORIAL GROVE

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endangered historic resources by Preservation Massachusetts.

Theo Mayer, program manager of the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission, says a sense of “national amnesia” about World War I is to blame.

“World War I, particularly when we were starting [the commission] in 2013, was completely forgotten,” Mayer said. “And as we got our amnesia, these statues and memorials were sitting around and no one quite knew what they were.”

The Centennial Commission was set up in 2013 by Congress to lead the nation’s centennial commemoration. And while the Commission was given a “really big mission,” Mayer said, it was not endowed with a budget to fully act on it.

What resulted was the 100 Cities/100 Memorials program, a national grant matching program, which handed out $200,000 in grants to communities across the country to fund the restoration of WWI memorials – including Memorial Grove in Green Hill Park.

The program was co-sponsored by the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, and had support from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

“We gave away 100 grants for $2,000, which was literally like a pump prime,” Mayer said. “It was just to get things going.”

The real value of the program, Mayer said, was the exposure it gave smaller cities working to build community support around restoration projects. Each of the 100 restoration projects that were awarded funds have been named official “WWI Centennial Memorials.”

“We were able to provide them with national status so that they were able to do their local fundraising,” Mayer said, calling Worcester’s Memorial Grove project particularly impressive.

“It’s a very ambitious project in Worcester,” he said, noting it is among the larger restoration projects the Centennial Commission chose.

The Memorial Grove project, and McCarthy, were featured on the March 9 edition of the WWI Centennial News podcast, available at worldwar1centennial.org.

“I’m humbled by what is being done,” Mayer said. “These are projects of dedication.”

of the Asian longhorned beetle,” Seward said. “So we had to redefine what the grove would look like.”

Working with DCR forester Michael Griffin, the WTI decided to plant a variety of trees in a pattern. The design and variety make Memorial Grove more sustainable long-term. They are arranged 40 feet apart in rows to mimic the layout of a cemetery. McCarthy brought a backhoe and excavated the holes for the trees, and volunteers came in to help plant them.

“Fortunately,” said Lirange, “that saved us quite a bit of work in terms of digging the holes because there were a lot of old root systems and there are still trees in some of the areas where we were planting.”

Lirange said they started with trees that are 6-7 feet tall in 15-gallon pots that weighed between 50-60 pounds with the root ball intact. Volunteers took the trees out of the containers, broke up the roots, and made sure to plant the trees at the correct depth. If they were planted too deep, they could die or a have a short life span. If the Meanwhile, some new memori- and recreating pathways that are gold star lists, official Army lists, as roots were not broken up properly, als are being built – including a accessible and ADA compliant, well as newspapers and the honor they could start to grow in a circle national memorial in D.C. Ground including a 700-foot walkway that roll in the AUD, McCarthy came up after a while.

“There’s a whole section of trees broke in the fall of 2017, and releads to a parking area. A stairway with 379 as the official number of that are more or less intact, but it vised plans were approved on July leading to the Vietnam Memoname plates and trees that would is really the upper half of the hill 19 by the U.S. Commission of Fine rial in Green Hill Park will also be be needed to memorialize those Arts for construction in Pershing carved out. who died in the war. McCarthy said that had many fewer trees,” Lirange Park – though the effort has no “The goal was to restore the me- he erred on the side of being inclu- said. “We had almost a blank canvas on the upper half, where we government funding. morial to what it was in 1928 when sive, and anyone from Worcester were just planting all of the trees in it was built,” said McCarthy. listed among the deceased in a row and then interspersed in the But the project will be more the records he consulted were lower half.” than a grove of trees when it is included. Among the 379 are two But the path to restoring the done. women: a nurse and a dietician. grove was not always easy or Steven Van Dessel, director Brian Cummings, department of the architectural engineering head of the advanced manufactur- straightforward.

“It’s easy to plant a tree, but program and professor of civil and ing program at Worcester Technihe Memorial Grove we’ve got to keep those trees alive,” environmental engineering at WPI, cal High School, made the new restoration project has said Seward. redesigned the space with the help name plates. involved the Green The WTI aimed to replace 120 of his students Nate Rogers and “They spent a whole summer Hill Park Coalition, the Jessica Rosewitz. making these,” McCarthy said, call- trees, but has planted closer to 200 Worcester Tree Initiative, a Pronow since they have had to replace The memorial will have one steel ing them “gorgeous.” gram of Tower Hill Botanic Garden, pole for each Worcester soldier trees lost to drought and damage Meanwhile, the WTI started and members of the Worcester from deer and caterpillars. who died, and the name plates will replacing the trees that had died Polytechnic Institute and Worces“Something like 10-20 percent be welded to the poles. Over time, over the years with the help of ter Technical High School commu- the poles will fade from silver to a of trees don’t necessarily make it numerous volunteers, from the nities, as well as many volunteers. right out of the gate, and I think copper color.

Sierra Group, Alternatives, the “This is a huge community partVan Dessel, originally from state Department of Conservation we lost more because of the deer,” nership,” Seward said. “Every time Flanders, Belgium, had a special and Recreation, and others. Of the said Lirange. “And we did try in our we just had people coming out of replanting to then find species that connection to the project. original 378, only 178 remained. the woodwork to help. Partnership were listed as deer-resistant, but “When put together and viewed While ground broke on June projects really do change things.” even that’s not foolproof.” from above, the memorial takes 13 of this year for the bulk of the The project has involved remov- the shape of a poppy, which Cana- project, the WTI started replantThe news trees include honey loing the amphitheater, putting in custs, lindens, oaks, serviceberries dian Lieutenant Col. John McCrae’s ing the trees in the grove in April new electrical, cleaning brush, and tulips. Now the trees are caged legendary poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ 2015. Originally, the grove was replanting more than 200 trees, and sprayed with deer deterrent highlights as one of the only plants comprised entirely of rock maple creating and installing 379 name to grow around soldiers’ graves in trees, but recent Asian longhorned and chemicals to resist caterpillars. plates, re-forging the archway at “I find the idea of planting a the barren battlefields,” writes Albeetle infestations made replanting the entrance to the grove, landtree for your loved one a beautiful lison Racicot of the WPI News. maples impossible. scaping the area, redesigning concept,” said Seward. “The fact After consulting five different “Maples are the favorite snack

IN GREEN HILL PARK

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feature COURTESY

Hixon and a graduate student went to the Massachusetts National Guard Museum and Archives in Concord and pulled all the draft cards they could find that linked to the names on the AUD wall.

“So they had that initial first source,” Hixon said.

Students were graded on the amount of information they were able to find and the way they put it together.

Seventeen students finished their notes on their 10 soldiers, and Hixon and a graduate student, along with students from a 10thgrade honors class at the Bancroft School on Shore Drive contributed.

The book is 182 pages long and features chapters on the Wyman family, women in the war, and a chapter where student authors reflected on their own family members who served.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

Above, a rendering of the Memorial Grove WWI Memorial.

Right, the Memorial Grove construction site at Green Hill Park. that they chose to use living plants to memorialize their loved ones, to me, that’s worth restoration alone, even if it were just the forest that was restored because it helps me to remember the power of healing with plants and trees in particular.”

REMEMBERING

THE WORCESTER COMMUNITY

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espite his monumental efforts to track down veterans of the First World War in Worcester, McCarthy has not found any direct descendants of the veterans memorialized in Me-

morial Grove. Others in the community have been working to put faces with names and to preserve the stories of those who fought in the Great War. Linda Hixon, adjunct professor of history at Worcester State University, published “They Ventured Far in the Cause of Liberty: The Names of Worcester’s Memorial Auditorium” with Dutcher and Ellsworth Publishing. She contributed to the volume and edited

Along the way, Hixon found some fascinating stories, including the fact that several Worcester men died repairing telephone lines.

“Radio was fairly new, but they had telephones,” she said. “If you wanted your telephone to work on the battlefield, you had to keep your lines intact.”

Worcester veterans were killed ministering to the sick, in airplane crashes, and in the balloon corps.

“The biggest surprise the first time we saw the wall were the two women’s names,” she said. “They both died of influenza.”

There were also many immigrants listed on the wall.

“There’s more Johnsons on the wall than there are Smiths,” said Hixon, “and Johnson is a Swedish name.”

Many veterans died of illness, infection or influenza.

“Finding obituaries was really hard,” Hixon said. “Some of the bodies were so obliterated that it would be months before the families would get word that their loved one was dead. They often couldn’t find the body because it would be out in No Man’s Land and would turn into bones after three months.”

Hixon is working on editing the book for a second edition release, which she hopes to make available for sale. She said she has had numerous inquiries into the book, fielding calls from as far away as California.

Closer to home, she began to hear stories of men whose names were not included on the AUD wall. One in particular stands out.

“I did talk to a woman who was heading up for 90. Her father had survived World War I, and she was born eight or 10 years after the war’s over,” said Hixon. “And when she was 8 years old, we’re talking 18 years after the war, he’s dying C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 16

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“The problem is sometimes you find [a little bit] and sometimes you find pages and pages,” Hixon said. “It really depends on who the soldier is, what kind of life they lived, whether they were an immigrant.”

Students found draft registration cards, census records, immigration sources such as Ellis Island’s records, newspapers, and city directories, which would list all the residents and where they lived.

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it—but the majority of the entries were drafted in the spring of 2017

by WSU students in her special topics course on the Great War. The book tells the stories of all of the 353 service members listed on the honor roll in the AUD. “They had to pick at least 10 names off the wall,” she said of her students in the course. “And they to try and find as much information as they could. They had to use at least two primary sources.”

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feature of the effects of gas that he had breathed in during war. And his name’s not on the wall because this all happened after the wall was created, so he’s like nothing, even though he died from gas inhalation 18 years after the war. And that was not uncommon for these men to be damaged from breathing in the gas and to die years and years later. And she grew up with it, so she’s very matter of fact telling me the story and I’m practically in tears because she lived with it her whole life.”

Robert Stacy, who curated a WWI exhibit at the Worcester Historical Museum earlier this year, noted Worcester’s involvement in the war started before the U.S. entered the conflict in 1917 and that community involvement went beyond enlistment. The war officially began in 1914, and Worcester was producing supplies for the British

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Army throughout the duration of the war.

“In terms of economics, the war was a really big deal because Worcester of course was a significant center of industrial activity,” he said.

Women were widely engaged in fundraising and other activities to support the war effort, such as making bandages. When they did go overseas, women often worked as nurses. Stacy said two notable Worcester women stand out.

The first is Esther Forbes, author of ” Johnny Tremain and Paul Revere in the World.” She served in West Virginia during the war as part of the women’s land army.

“They were known colloquially as the farmer-ettes,” he said. “Many men agricultural laborers had been drafted or volunteered, and they needed women to work on farms.”

The other was Martha Henshaw,

is a commentary on racism in our country,” said Stacy. “At first, the American Army did not want African-Americans to be serving on the same front as white troops.”

His talk focused on Haywood’s notebooks and letters about daily life in France, which were part of the exhibit earlier this year.

Haywood went on to write “Negro Combat Troops in the World War,” which is now available in digitized form on the Hathi Trust Digital Library’s website.

LOOKING AHEAD

Day. There will be a pancake breakfast from 8-11 a.m. at Veterans Inc., 69 Grove St., followed by an 11 a.m. parade along Grove Street. At 1 p.m., the new Memorial Grove will be unveiled at Green Hill Park, and at 2 p.m., there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, also at Green Hill Park.

“There’s nobody left who knew a World War I veteran firsthand,” said Augustus. “It really is our obligation to remember what they did on behalf of the country and the world and honor their sacrifice, even though it was a long time ago.”

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n Sunday, Nov. 11, Worcester has a robust schedule of events to commemorate the centennial of Armistice

Distinguished service crosses awarded

ongress established the Distinguished Service Cross for valor and the Distinguished Service Medal for conspicuous service with the Army Appropriation Act in July 1918. Thirteen Worcester residents were awarded the cross, according to Harry R. Stringer’s account in “Heroes All! A compendium of the names and official citations of the soldiers and citizens of the United States and of her Allies who were decorated by the American Government for exceptional heroism and conspicuous service above and beyond the call of duty in the war with Germany, 1917-1919.” Here are some excerpts of the veterans he profiled, listed with their Worcester home addresses, if available, at the time:

Capt. Starr S. Eaton, 200 June St.

whose letters and scrapbooks are held at the Worcester Historical Museum. She served as a “Hello Girl,” and her lively correspondence with her parents and friends provides an eye into the life of young women on the front.

“The Hello Girls were civilian women who functioned as telephone operators for the U.S. Army telephone system,” Stacy said. “[Henshaw] came from an old Worcester family, and she worked as an operator for the phone company in Worcester and volunteered to go to France.”

Earlier this year, Stacy gave a talk at the Worcester Historical Museum about Chester Dodd Haywood, a major in the 371st Infantry Regiment, which was an AfricanAmerican unit.

“In the first stages of the war, African-American units were sent to serve with French forces, which

First Lt. George W. Jones, 35 Providence St.

“Though himself painfully wounded by a bursting shell when his battery position was heavily bombarded by the enemy, Lt. Jones immediately directed the work of rescuing wounded men form demolished dugouts and evacuating them to the rear. Having finished this work he at once reorganized his battery and carried out orders for immediate fire on the enemy.” (Oct. 31, 1918, Ravine de Bois de Caures, France)

Pvt. Saterae N. Makas, 31 Winter St.

“… He was wounded three times, but continued with the advance and kept up the operation of his automatic rifle despite his injuries, until the objective had been attained.” (July 19, 1918, Soissons, France)

Pvt. Stanley Mazurkevczk, 45 ½ Ellsworth St.

“Pvt. Mazurkevczk, with three other soldiers, volunteered to carry wounded men of other companies from in front of our advanced positions, and carried this work on under violent machine-gun fire while a counterattack was developing.” (Sept. 12, 1918, Jaulny, France)

“Capt. Eaton displayed notable coolness and courage during the attack by his company, winning a brilliant success and capturing a large number of prisoners and a quantity of enemy munitions. After obtaining his objective, he personally led a small detachment against a hostile machine-gun Pvt. Clifford E. Mellen and silenced it, capturing in person the ma“When Pvt. Mellen was in a shell hole chine gunners and destroying the nest.” (July with an officer and eight men, the enemy 1, 1918, Chateau-Thierry, France) threw some hand grenades, one landing Capt. Thomas F. Foley, 84 Lovell St. among the men. Pvt. Mellen seized it and “Throughout the four days of advance attempted to throw it out when it exploded. he commanded and led his battalion with His action saved the lives of his comrades, exceptional bravery and judgment, thereby but resulted in a severe injury to himself.” inspiring his men. When strong resistance (Oct. 16, 1918, Verdun, France) was encountered, he personally went forPvt. Frank Pollinger, 29 Endicott St. ward and reconnoitered the terrain under “During the period of four days, when his heavy machine-gun and sniper fire, and on battalion was surrounded by the enemy and July 15 and again on July 22 he personally after his squad leader had been wounded, led his battalion in successful attacks.” (July Pvt. Pollinger took command of the squad, 15-22, 1918, Vaux, France) although he himself was suffering from a

wound received four days previous. His indomitable courage and perseverance upheld the spirit and morale of his men under such trying circumstances, and he continued to direct their movements until forced out of action by a second wound.” (Oct. 3-7, 1918, Carlevaux, France)

Bugler John W. Roy, 117 Southgate St.

“He displayed notable bravery in delivering messages through violent shell fire. At one time, after three other runners had been killed and a fourth wounded, he passed over the same route, undaunted, to carry a message vitally necessary to the successful operation of his company.” (July 18-19, 1918, Belleau Woods, France)

Pvt. Raymond St. George

“In the performance of his duties as a scout, Pvt. St. George displayed unusual courage in locating and charging machinegun nests. After being mortally wounded, he insisted that those who stopped to aid him continue in their advance to capture nests.”

(Oct. 2, 1918, Bois de Warville, France)

Cpl. Earl H. Sanderson, 24 Kelley St.

“He was a member of a working party on the night of Feb. 28, 1918, well out in front of the advance post. The party encountered a violent barrage of the enemy, which protected enemy assault troops. He helped to fight off the German troops and walked back and forth under the enemy’s and our barrage to collect his men. When he heard his lieutenant was in trouble, he walked again to his rescue where the barrage had first overtaken him.” (Feb. 28, 1918)

Pfc. Henry L. Signor, 15 Lagrange St.

“Following the advance of the Infantry, Pvt. Signor caused his [ambulance] car to be lifted across a mine created by some infan-

trymen, and proceeding for three kilometers down a road heavily bombarded with gas and highly-explosive shells, he evacuated wounded from a culvert only 400 yards from enemy outposts. On the return trip, his car was struck by splinters from an exploding shell, which pierced the clothing of his aide and caused fresh wounds to one of his patients. After transferring his wounded across the crater to another car, he succeeded in driving it over a road almost destroyed by shell fire to a newly-established dressing station in Sommerance. He continued to operate his car for 12 hours until he was relieved, having at all times displayed unhesitating courage and devotion to duty.” (Oct. 11, 1918, Sommerance, France)

First Lt. Willard L. Smith

“Lt. Smith was killed while gallantly assisting in maintaining liaison between the troops advancing on the open ground to the west of Bois de Four and those in the woods.

It was due to Lieutenant Smith’s fearless example while leading his men, that the line was held intact at this point.” (Sept. 12, 1918, Remenauville, France)

Pvt. Alexander Zambrycyski, 57 Ellsworth St.

“While making a reconnaissance of a destroyed bridge, over the River Meuse, a member of the patrol had his leg broken by machine gun fire and fell into the river.

Despite the fact that four enemy machine guns were firing point blank on the spot, at a distance of less than 100 yards, Pvt. Zambrycyski volunteered and went to the rescue of his comrade while under severe fire, taking him to a place of safety.” (Nov. 7, 1918, Mouson, France)

ELIZABETH BROOKS

culture

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culture

ELIZABETH BROOKS

Of Punk Rock, Jesus and Aslan King JOSHUA LYFORD

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t may have started with a spoken-word, hip-hop infused release back in 2010, but Aslan King’s career took a turn after a surprise guest arrived in dream and suggested he play punk rock music. With King’s fourth record, “Ameriking Dollar,” out now on Lo-Z Records, he refines his descriptive, tongue-in-cheek and occasionally dark narrative.

“We were playing [For Real], it was a good time, but I had a dream one night,” King said. “I’m not a religious man, but Jesus was in my dream. He said I had to make punk rock music.

That was as good a reason as any to make music.”

King is seated in the back area of Highland Street’s Bean Counter, joined by fellow musician and Lo-Z Records owner Torbin Harding and drummer Dan Lapensee. The trio

have made music together since 2010. Lapensee, according to Harding, has become the unofficial “Lo-Z Records house drummer.”

“He came to me and said, ‘Have you heard the pop punk on the radio?’ It’s horrible,” recalled Harding.

“Well, yeah, it’s terrible. He said he wanted to do the real thing.”

King and Harding met years prior, long before their first album, “For Real,” was released. They were familiar with one another through local shows, but really became connected at the since-closed Java Hut on Main Street.

“Aslan was always this incredibly unique character, very bright, intelligent, sort of magnetic,” said Harding.

“You meet Aslan and within a few minutes you pick up on that. Within a few minutes, I knew I wanted to work with him. This is our fourth album.”

Much of the lyrics contained

within “Ameriking Dollar” and King’s previous records, including “Kingsville” and “Ameriking Punk,” are biographical. As a longtime poet, King pays special attention to the words accompanying music.

“I think I was in the third grade, I was going to buy an ice cream cone, I did buy the ice cream cone, but then after that some kids robbed me,” King recalled, explaining the origin story for the album’s title track. “I held my own, I kept my money, but I lost my ice cream cone. I alter that story a little bit. I wouldn’t give up my $5, but my ice cream cone was lost in the process. I replaced that ice cream cone with a dollar. What happened after the fact? Where did it go? It fell out. It got blown around in the street. It got picked up by the dope man. A cop found it. We settled on two verses. It was a blast to write.”

With a poet’s background and several records to his name, King is

clear in what he wants his songs to achieve.

“I like details. You have that little thing and you pull the string and see where it goes.”

You can find more on Aslan King’s latest release, ameriking Dollar, as well as the rest of Lo-Z Records discography online at Lozrecords.com.

culture Megan Godin’s Yellow Brick Road: From Central Mass to the ‘The Wizard of Oz’ JOSHUA LYFORD

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egan Godin was born and raised in Leominster, but found success traveling in touring theatrical productions. From Nov. 8-11, Godin returns to Central Mass., this time as a cast member in the beloved musical, “The Wizard of Oz” at Worcester’s Hanover Theatre.

“I’ve been touring with one show or another for the last 10 years,” said Godin. “When I’m not on the road, I still call Leominster home. I’m super excited. This will be the third time that a show I’ve done has gone to the Hanover. It’s a beautiful space. My whole family is coming, my mom is coming to some performances. I have friends

jump. Depending on how far we have to go, those days can start at 7 in the morning and roll into the hotel later in the evening. We have the evening off to do whatever we can in those few hours.”

Godin is performing as part of the ensemble cast, and to be a part of “The Wizard of Oz” is a special experience for the actor, as the story has long been a favorite of hers.

“I admit I have been a lifelong fan of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’” said Godin. It was always my favorite movie growing up. In fourth grade, my dance studio did the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and I played Toto. It’s a story that has followed me through my life. For me, I feel like I always try and present my best because it’s

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so beloved. We get little kids coming in costume all the time to see the show and you have the senior citizens who have had it their entire life and have these wonderful memories of the story. It’s very special and I hope we do it justice.”

With a beloved storyline, incredible musical numbers, dancing and more, the bar for “The Wizard of Oz” is set high, but Godin and company hope to reach higher. For her, the opportunity to give an audience a rewarding experience is the payoff.

“I have always loved that I get

people is wonderful on my end.”

For more information, including set times, head to Thehanovertheatre.org.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

coming with their kids. It is special to be close to home and have your people there.”

Godin called Worcester Magazine from a coach bus traveling to Redbank, N.J., where the touring production company behind “The Wizard of Oz.” “It’s our bus, so we have it all the time and can set our our little home base in our seats,” she said.

“With this tour, almost every single day we are performing. Occasionally, we’ll have just traveled days if there is a longer distance to

Roof ’ and a lot of times people would be crying in the audience.

Nowadays, with everything, I feel people are out of touch with their emotions. To give that release to

N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

Professor Marvel (Kirk Lawrence) explains to Dorothy (Kalie Kaimann) what he sees in his crystal ball.

the chance to give the audience some sort of experience,” she said.

“Hearing them laugh, I’ve done performances where people have cried. I toured with ‘Fiddler on the

culture Lyford Files JOSHUA LYFORD

THE KING OF KINGS: Or, rather, the Show

of Shows, I suppose. The 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows is headed to Worcester’s Park View Room on Park Ave. Friday, Nov. 9. I’m a big fan of animation, so an entire animation festival is quite appealing to me. For some reason, animation tends to make me emotional (just looking at the art style in the original “Hobbit” film or thinking about any Disney movie from my youth (I’m looking at you, “The Fox and the Hound”) makes me tear up immediately.)

Something tells me a sizable collection of animated shorts would probably get me all riled up. Anyway, the festival will host 15 animated shorts from all over the globe and ought to be a good time. It’s presented by Cinema-Worcester, an organization making interesting moves in the world of cinema.

SOMEBODY GIVE THESE FOLKS A BOOST: I make absolutely no secret of the fact that I’m a homer. I’m a Worcester guy and the Railers are my team. I will always find good things to say about them, but things have not been easy lately. They’ve dropped three straight as of the time of this writing, most recently against the Newfoundland Growlers. The Railers let the Growlers get up 4-0 before answering back with two goals in the third. The final score was 5-2. Not a great look. The Railers currently sit in sixth place in their division and 25th place overall.

Time to get it together. “It’s so early, it doesn’t matter,” you say. Sure, it’s early. but it’s a whole lot harder to make up those points at the end of a long season. Haven’t lost faith though, excited to see the Railers bounce back.

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N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

‘REMEMBER, THIS IS A FUNERAL, DRESS ACCORDINGLY’: You know how every once in a while I’ll say, “Check

out this band while you have the chance?” It’s one, because I must have really enjoyed something about them, but also, it’s in the nature of the music I am most attracted to for brevity to be a common denominator. That just read like someone on PCP trying to ape J.R.R. Tolkien, but hey, that’s how she goes. With that in mind, Worcester doom act Altar of Ash has announced they’re wrapping things up after a relatively brief run with a final show at Ralph’s Diner Saturday, Nov. 24. They’ll be ripping with Leather Lung and Overgrowth. Everyone in the band has, to my knowledge, other projects in the works, so I have to assume you’ll see all of them around. If you haven’t caught them before, now is the final time to do so. The shows generally feature vocalist Isaac shirtless and covered in beer. This is exactly the sort of eye candy I am about.

ELECTION DAY: I’m writing this from election day, Nov. 6. I am,

as is typical, a day behind schedule. This will be submitted long before I see any poll numbers, so this is a shot in the dark. As reporters, we see the voting numbers every election and, well, they are bleak. Folks just aren’t motivated to vote. I’m hoping I’ll go to bed late night tonight saying, wow, what a turnout. If you didn’t, take the time next go-round to figure out what’s important to you and make informed choices. It’s relatively quick and painless (at most polling locations) and it changes the way the nation around you functions.

You have an impact on that change and that’s an important part of civic duty ( frankly, the only part, in my opinion). I guess you’ll have to wait for the next edition to see if I’ve Joshua Lyford been drinking to celebrate, or Culture editor drinking to lament. @Joshachusetts

culture Lifestyle

BirchTree Bread Company bakes pizza on the hearth, 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays with toppings like fennel sausage, braised lamb and Laurelwood Farms mushrooms. This Friday, Jon Short will be on hand to sing the Country Blues and take you into the weekend with a whole new outlook on life.

SARAH CONNELL

Peace Out Papa

I was surprised by Worcester Magazine’s abrupt attention to the closing of three local Papa Gino’s locations until I remembered that the chain is a favorite lunchtime hangout of our esteemed editor, Walter Bird. Change is good, Walt. Here are a few local options to consider for a mid-day meal in the post-Papa era: 1. Volturno is conveniently located right downstairs from WoMag’s offices AND offers a two-for-one deal on Mondays and Tuesdays.

2. Corner Grille gives you the rare opportunity to disguise your pizza as a chicken Caesar salad.

3. Dacosta’s doesn’t just have the best Sicilian pizza in the city, they also have a clawfoot bathtub filled with ping pong balls.

4. Jason’s builds each small pie in a wellgreased round pan for that nostalgic Worcester crunch.

Do it Yourself

Are you still with me, Papa’s people? I have one more solution. Crust Bakeshop on Main

Ramen Rivals

Really? It’s still too soon for pizza? Well, maybe you have what it takes to enter Worcester’s spicy ramen eating challenge at the Asian Culture Society Night Market this Saturday.

Forget all your troubles with a nice slow burn.

Competitors will gear up beginning at 6 p.m. on Dana Commons at Clark University.

Only one will reign supreme.

Corner Grille’s chicken Caesar salad pie.

SARAH CONNELL

Street hosts pizza nights on Thursdays, 4-8 p.m. Too late for a lunch break, I know, but for a limited time they’ll let you take home the dough and do it yourself. Balls of dough are just $3.50. Feed the whole family and brown bag the leftovers.

Or Just Sing the Blues

OK, if you really can’t cope with this newfound Papa Gino’s shortage, perhaps it’s best to let yourself mourn in the peace of a superior pie.

It’s important to get back out there right away.

Sarah Connell contributing writer

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culture They still dine at Dino’s 13 Lord St., Worcester • 508-753-9978 • dineatdinos.com SANDRA RAIN

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W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

D

ino’s has been in business on Lord Street for over 60 years. Change is hard for anyone at 60. We all get set in our ways. This may be the very blessed reason why Dino’s dining room is packed with regulars on most nights of the week. Perhaps it also accounts for their allcaps advisory that reads: “DUE TO INCREASE IN PRODUCE COST SALADS ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE MEAL.” Talk about a warm greeting.

One wonders for how long the salads were included and for how many years. One thing is for certain, Italian bread and fresh made bruschetta arrive at the table as soon as you’re seated and that’s enough to put my mind back in lowercase.

The dark-paneled walls are offset by shutters painted robin’s egg blue.

Light fixtures are yellowing, effectively casting a dim hue to hide that most tables badly need to be refinished. A cornucopia marks Dino’s autumnal spirit this time of year, along with a twinkling tree at the edge of the dining room. Carpets Dino’s gnocchi Sorrento and often concern me in chicken parmigiana. restaurants; Dino’s is no exception.

Dino’s staff is more than just seasoned – they are proud. On one busy Tuesday evening, I watched a server tend to nearly the whole floor by her lonesome without any lags or oversights. There’s something to be said for mastery. (There’s also something to be said for getting stuck in a rut.)

None of the pastas or raviolis are made in-house, a bit of a let down for a classic Italian joint. That said, the red sauces are unique from dish to dish and manage to convey the kitchen’s genuine Italian energy.

A medium antipasto ($14) can feed two to three people to kick things off. The gnocchi Sorrento ($16.95) will give you a taste of Dino’s pillow soft meatballs; order them double and forego the tough skinny sausages. Dino’s gnocchi are almost as long as my pinky finger and arrive topped in a blush cream tomato sauce. A pizza joint shaker of mozzarella is available on the table, but nothing freshly grated.

You can keep it simple with the parmigiana (eggplant $15 or chicken $16.95). Dino’s tomato sauce is rich and fruity, and it’s probably the real reason their fans have kept coming back for 60 years.

As the youngest paying customer in the dining room on all of my visits, I just hope Dino’s will begin to consider how they can attract a new generation before it’s too late. It may be as simple as adding one scratch dish to the menu and giving the place a deep scrub.

On my last visit for two, our bill came to $87.90.

Explanation of Stars: Ratings are from zero to five. Zero is not recommended.

One is poor. Two is fair. Three is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is excellent.

Food: HH 1/2 Ambience: HH Service: HHH 1/2 Value: HH 1/2

culture To Orson, with love JIM KEOGH

I

t’s little surprise that among the films Orson Welles left unfinished at the time of his death in 1985 was a retelling of the Don Quixote story. Like the ancient knight, Welles tilted at windmills his entire career, declaring war against the studios over creative control and the moneymen who refused to finance his pictures. As his weight ballooned, he took to wearing a black cape to obscure his girth and to preserve an air of mystery. This was, after all, the man who’d voiced The Shadow, one of early radio’s most memorable adventure heroes.

Sufficient self-regard was never an issue for the director, and it’s his haughtiness, with an added dash of humor, that gives the new Netflix documentary “They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead” a sense of devilish fun.

The movie is biopic-ish — it recalls Welles’ triumphs, failures and fights, including his battle with RKO over the studio’s disastrous editing of “The Magnificent Ambersons” and his firing from “Touch of Evil,” which found belated appreciation decades after its 1958 release. Welles’ genius made him a Hollywood darling as a young man; his penchant for selfsabotage later helped send him into exile.

But the narrative fulcrum is Welles’ struggle to finish his film, “The Other Side of the Wind,” a heavily-autobiographical account of a director (played by John

Huston) wrestling with his latest opus. Peter Bogdanovich shot copious behind-the-scenes footage of Welles’ travails during filming (there were always travails).

My favorite involves the famed impressionist Rich Little, whom Welles (strangely) recruited to star alongside Huston, but who had to leave the set before the end of filming to keep performance dates.

Rather than readjust the schedule to await Little’s return, Welles scrapped all his footage and reshot

Little’s scenes with Bogdanovich in the role.

Welles grew increasingly bitter the more it became apparent few believed in his vision. In one sad sequence, Welles receives the American Film Institute’s lifetime achievement award, then uses his acceptance speech as an opportunity to ask for funding to complete “The Other Side of the Wind.” You can almost hear the crickets.

The word “betrayal” arises time and again: Welles was not shy about expressing his disappointment with the film industry. It’s noted how several of the characters in “The Other Side of the Wind” are thinly-veiled caricatures of Hollywood luminaries, and Welles essentially was extending his beefy middle finger skyward at them. (Ironically, Welles would publicly betray his pal Bogdanovich, bad-mouthing him as he bantered with Burt Reynolds on “The Tonight Show.” Their friendship never fully recovered.)

Director Morgan Neville (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor”) displays great affection for his subject, showing Welles in all his Fal-

staffian glory — the man had an infectious rumbling laugh. There is empathy, too, for the guy who later in life scrapped for money by making cameo appearances in terrible movies and lending his distinctive voice to cheesy TV ads. The maverick filmmakers of the ’70s rediscovered Welles’ genius and restored a measure of relevancy to his career until cinema’s blockbuster mentality took hold. Welles’ brand of independent moviemaking was done in by Jedi knights and a maneating shark.

Netflix has released “The Other Side of the Wind” in tandem with “They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead.”

I’d advise watching the documentary first. After that, you can get right into “Wind,” or sample one of his other movies. “Citizen Kane” Jim Keogh anyone? contributing writer

N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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calendar

Thursday, Nov. 8 GWAR

The Palladium, 261 Main St. GWAR returns to the Palladium with their one-of-a-kind show, featuring Miss May I and American Sharks.

Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 8-11 The Wizard of Oz

The Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St. Travel over the rainbow with this production of the “Wizard of Oz.” The musical comes to life with Dorothy, Toto, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow.

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

Thursday, Nov. 8 “My Favorite Things,” an evening with Jane Shivick and Olga Rogach Mechanics Hall 321 Main St. Soprano Jane Shivick (pictured), pianist Olga Rogach and soprano Sarah Callinan come together at Mechanics Hall for an evening of song.

calendar Friday, Nov. 9 20th Annual Animation Show of Shows

The Park View Room 230 Park Ave. Presented by Cinema-Worcester, the 20th anniversary of the Show of Shows, featuring great animated shorts.

Saturday, Nov. 10 Heavy Fest

The Palladium 261 Main St. Utilizing both of the Palladium stages, Heavy Fest brings Asking Alexandria, Death Ray Vision, I See Stars and more to Worcester.

Saturday, Nov. 10 Worcester 78’s season opener

Worcester State University Wellness Center 486 Chandler St. The Worcester 78’s professional basketball team defends home court against their local rivals, the New England Outtatowners.

Friday, Nov. 9 A Salute to our Veterans

First Baptist Church of Worcester 111 Park Ave. The First Baptist Church of Worcester celebrates our veterans through music. Presented by Worcester Schubertiade, John Adams and vocal ensemble, Diamonds From the Dust perform.

Sunday, Nov. 11 Considering Matthew Shepard Mechanics Hall 321 Main St. Presented by Music Worcester, Considering Matthew Shepard is a benefit concert at Mechanics Hall commemorating the 20th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard.

N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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culture

Adoption option Welcome to Adoption Option, a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League, highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes.WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl.org, or call at 508-853-0030.

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W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

EAST DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Looking at Bob, you know his past. He’s the large, big-cheeked male tom cat that prowls the neighborhood looking for ladies. We neutered him, so he needs a new job. He would like to become the affectionate orange cat who sleeps for hours in warm spots in your home and never misses a meal. Like many big cats, Bob doesn’t enjoy being picked up, because he’s afraid you’ll drop him. Other than that quirk, he’s a nice cat who will be a wonderful companion for you. Bob is 3-4 years old and his adoption fee is $145.

sports p Worcester 78’s take their shot in second year in ABA WALTER BIRD JR.

I

The Score

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The Massachusetts Pirates re-signed offensive lineman Mitchell Bell. and announced their first offseason free agency signing, defensive back Manny Asprilla.

The team also came to terms with first team All-National Arena League defensive end JD Griggs for the 2019 season, and signed center Ruben Carter of Miami, Fla. The Pirates also re-signed first team AllNational League DB Kiante Northington.

error is very small if we want to play playoff games,” Marino said.

In addition to the Express, the 78’s will be challenged by other top teams, including the Binghamton Bulldogs and Syracuse Stallions.

“If you had to predict, that’s probably your four playoff teams,” including the 78’s, Marino said. “Of course, anything can happen. If we want to make Binghamton or Syracuse come here, we better not drop too many games, because they won’t.”

Home games for the 78’s this season are on Saturdays at 7 p.m. at WSU. In addition to Saturday’s season opener, the team will be home Dec. 8, Jan. 5, Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 9, Feb. 16, Feb. 23 and March 2.

More information about the 78’s can be found at worcester78s.com.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Round-Up

Southern New Hampshire University.

“He’s explosive, can get to the rim and over the rim,” Marino said of the 6-foot-2-inch guard. “He does a lot of things well.”

The 78’s return a core of strong players, including leading scorer Tony Gallo. The 5-foot-11-inch guard hails from Coppin State. He is joined by Worcester native Kamahl Walker, a 5-foot-11-inch guard who was second in scoring for the 78’s last year.

Another Worcester guy, 6-foot-7-inch forward Jose Cruz Jr., also returns, as does former Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Sam Longwell a 6-foot-4inch forward. Longwell was third on the team in scoring last season and was the leading rebounder.

Worcester 78’s players Other returning players for coach Jose Cruz Jr., with ball, and Anthony Leonelli include Scotty Tavares-Taylor, Sean McCarthy, Lee Chris Fitzgerald.

Vazquez and Mark Cornelius. best player in the past two decades Count Walker among the secondto play at WSU. “The reaction to him year players to keep an eye on. The has been maybe as large as to Naadir.” Endicott College product averaged The two players have not played about 20.5 points per game, with a together previously, Marino said, “so couple of 40-point efforts thrown in. they’re excited to play together.”

“He was a true rookie last season,” “We just played a scrimmage [reMarino said. “He’s athletic. He doesn’t cently],” Marino said. “It was competi- have the greatest vertical in the tive. I saw Tharpe take the game over world, but he has hang time. He gets for the first time. It was awesome, to his jump shots off with good looks … be honest. He does some stuff, the There’s going to be situations where way he controls the game, the way he the other team’s third defender is deuses his body, even on the perimeter. fending him, and that’s bad for them.”

“Mo Horton has a lot of tools.

Rounding out the team’s roster to He rebounds and shoots from the open the season are Domonique Bull, outside.”

Domenick Mastascusa, Bilal Shakir, Also new to the 78’s this season is all of Worcester, and Daivon Edwards Chris Fitzgerald, who played a year of Brighton. at George Washington University. He The 78’s start the season at No. 10 also played at Assumption College in in the ABA power rankings, accordWorcester. At 6 feet 8 inches and 270 ing to Marino, who is looking for pounds, he’s a bruising forward who his team to make it to the finals this “loves to bang and hit threes,” accord- year. They will be competing with ing to Marino. top teams such as the New Jersey Another first-timer is Dimitri Flor- Express, the team that bounced them as, who played two years for Division from the playoffs last season.

1 Quinnipiac, before transferring to “We need to realize our margin for

N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

Center, a 101,000-square-foot facility that opened in 2016. There’s room for 1,500 fans, with an elevated running t’s no stretch to call the Worcestrack allowing for standing room. ter 78s’ inaugural season in the The team played its home games American Basketball Associalast year at the Boys & Girls Club on tion a successful one. The team Tainter Street. finished the regular season 13-4 and “The venue’s a big change,” owner made the playoffs, bowing out in the Tom Marino acknowledged, notfirst round on a last-second, 40-foot ing the building features a bigger shot.

The team, whose moniker is a nod court that should fit nicely into the team’s playing style. “We’re generally to the Blizzard of ’78, kicks off its a spread-it-out-and-shoot-threes second year in the league Saturday team. Having more room to operate night, and befitting a new start, the definitely is a benefit for us.” team has some new faces and a new The team’s home court isn’t all home base. that’s new.

The 78s will play their 10 home “Some of the players we’ve picked games, including Saturday’s, at Worcester State University’s Wellness up are pretty exciting as well,” Marino said.

Perhaps most notably, the 78’s in the offseason added former St. PeterMarian standout and ex-University Worcester Railers: Friday, Nov. 2 The Railof Kansas star guard Naadir Tharpe ers (3-4-0-0) couldn’t muster much in a 3-0 (5 feet 11 inches, 170 pounds) as well loss at home to the Adirondack Thunder as former WSU star Maurice “Mo” (8-2-0-0), despite 33 saves by goalie Horton.

Evan Buitenhuis. Saturday, Nov. 3 Guns ‘N The 33-year-old Horton, a 6-footHoses Night, which saw Bruins legend Ray 3-inch, 210-pound forward, scored Bourque in the house, wasn’t enough to lift over 1,000 points for WSU in just two the Railers (3-5-0-0), who fell, 5-2, to the years there. He was a standout at visiting Newfoundland Growlers.

Quinsigamond Community College Tuesday, Nov. 6 The Railers (3-6-0-0) lost before that. He has not previously their fourth in a row, 3-1, on the road to played pro ball, but has kept in shape the Newfoundland Growlers. playing in local leagues (Upcoming: The Railers were on the road Tharpe is a dynamic player who Wednesday night against the Growlers. spent time in the NBA G League. A The team has a home-and-home with the Maine Mariners Friday, Nov. 9 at home and hip injury cut short his time there.

“From Worcester, [Tharpe is] Saturday, Nov. 10 in Maine. The Railers return home Wednesday, Nov. 14 to take on the guy,” Marino said. “He hopes to get back [to the G League], and I’m the Reading Royals.) not an expert in judging talent, but Worcester Blades: Tuesday, Nov. 6 The Blades were iced, 6-0, by the Shenzhen KRS there’s no reason he can’t. He can play Vanke Rays on the road at the Shenzhen in that league.”

Universiade Sports Center.

As much attention as Tharpe’s (Upcoming: The Blades are on the road signing generated for the 78’s, Horton’s Friday, Nov. 9 and Saturday, Nov. 10 against didn’t exactly fly under the radar. the Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays.)

“I knew Mo Horton, but I didn’t Worcester 78’s: (Upcoming: The 78’s kick realize how well known he is in the off their 2018-19 season at home Saturday, city,” Marino said, rating him as the Nov. 10 against the New Englan Outtatowners at Worcester State University. The team is on the road Sunday, Nov. 11 against the Court Kings.)

games

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

J O N E S I N’ Across 1 Backtalk 5 Order on an order 9 Lion in the Narnia books 14 Feel certain 15 Barely grilled 16 Link’s “Good Mythical Morning” partner 17 Star of the BBC’s “Luther” 19 Shaw of the Big Band Era 20 Reconfigure a hard drive 21 Royal ball 23 Beliefs, for short 24 Morsel at the bottom of a fast-food bag 25 Citrus-flavored dessert (with something parked in the middle) 28 Portrayer of Ned on “Game of Thrones” 29 Word after bad or Dad 30 Quiz option 33 Chicken giant 36 Controversial agribusiness letters 39 Place for avians to thrive (with something parked in the middle) 43 Tack on 44 “Stargate Universe” actress Levesque (OK, fine ... the mom from “Family Ties”) 45 No longer fooled by 46 Show starter?

48 Over again 51 “Darlin’” classic kids’ song (with something parked in the middle) 55 Biol. or anat.

58 “___ in every garage” 59 Conservational prefix 60 Rowan Atkinson character (or a clue for 28-Across) 62 Carl who hosted the original “Cosmos” 64 Modern urban vehicles whose brand names have been parked in the middle of the three theme entries 66 Supreme Court Justice Kagan 67 Internet explorer?

68 Part of 61-Down 69 Element tested for in home inspections 70 One-named Sao Paulo-born athlete

“Ride Share”-- an inconvenient place to park.

by Matt Jones

71 Japanese buckwheat noodle Down 1 Flat-bottomed rowboat 2 Conjunctions seen with a slash 3 Word inevitably used in a stereotypical Canadian impersonation 4 Do the butterfly 5 Franklin with the 1982 album “Jump to It” 6 Jimmy Kimmel’s cousin who makes frequent appearances on his show 7 “Day” observed the last Friday in April 8 Bubble tea tapioca ball 9 “Altar” constellation 10 Piercing cry 11 Tutorial opener, maybe 12 “One Day at ___” 13 Big bomb trial, briefly 18 Business letter encl.

22 Actress Phillips 26 Blog post 27 ___ Lisa 28 “Hold on a ___!”

30 Gp. before the gate 31 Totally cool 32 In one piece 34 What a QB tries to gain 35 Great buy 37 Got together with

38 He-bear, to Hernando 40 Croupier’s collection 41 “What ___ About You” (mid-2000s WB sitcom) 42 Sudoku grid line 47 Monsieur de Bergerac 49 “I give!”

50 100 cents, in Cyprus 51 It fires electrodes 52 Florida city home to John Travolta 53 Freeze, as a windshield 54 Western law enforcement group 55 “___ evil ... “ 56 Native Trinidadian, maybe 57 Prefix for gram or Pot 61 Heat measurements, for short 63 Photog Goldin 65 Disney collectible Last week's solution

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N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

29

NOTICE In response to a Request For Qualifications (RFQ), the Worcester Housing Authority (WHA) is seeking design services from up to five (5) qualified design teams to provide Architectural/Engineering (AE) Services as part of an Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC) at Federal Developments (WHA Job No. 2019-01).

The initial term of the contract will be three (3) years, renewable by one (1) one-year period at the sole discretion of the WHA. The total duration of the contract, including all extensions, shall not exceed five (5) years, or close out of all task orders, whichever is sooner.

The maximum fee is $500,000 for an initial three-year period, with an increase of $100,000 for each year the contract is extended at the sole discretion of the WHA. Task orders will be solicited for various projects up to the fee’s upset limit. The construction budget for projects is between $2,000 to $1,500,000.

A briefing session will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at the Worcester Housing Authority, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA. Proposals are due by at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. Proposals shall be submitted electronically to Mod-Bids@WorcesterHA.org.

Write 2019-01 IQC AE Services in the subject line. Hard copies shall be delivered to: Tina Paez, Administrative Coordinator Worcester Housing Authority 81 Tacoma Street Worcester, MA 01605 Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) are available on the Worcester Housing Authority website beginning October 31, 2018 (http://www.worcesterha.org/currentbids.html) at no cost.

Questions regarding this RFQ shall be submitted in writing 72 hours prior to the deadline for submission and emailed to ModBids@WorcesterHA.org. Reference the WHA Job Number only in the subject line.

The Worcester Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, or to waive any informalities in the bidding if it be in the public interest to do so.

Joseph P. Carlson, Chairperson Worcester Housing Authorityccc

last call Matthew Glidden KrafTea Kombucha Owner

M

atthew Glidden has officially moved his Worcester-based kombuchery, KrafTea, to its new home on the first floor of the historic Sprinkler Factory at 38 Harlow St. The ancient probiotic elixir is experiencing a surge in popularity on account of its health properties as well as its tart and tasty profile. Bartenders have even taken to using it as a mixer in lieu of juices with higher sugar contents.

KrafTea Kombucha has an alcohol by volume of approximately 2 percent as a result of the natural alcohol content produced during fermentation

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018

How long have you been in this space? About six months.

What have you done to it since you got here? The landlord actually coated the floor, installed the plumbing, added the overhead heaters, and then I brought in three fermenters for triple the capacity that I had at the old place.

I love all the natural light. I believe that’s why this was built this way. It was a factory floor and rather than lighting the entire place with gas, they just built this up to have natural light in here for the entire working day. So depending on when you come and depending on the weather, it’s really very picturesque. It’s beautiful in here.

What is your history in the city of Worcester? I’ve been here for about 10 years. I was not born and raised here. I was born and raised in upstate New York. But I chose this space, and therefore I feel a greater connection to Worcester.

I’m not stuck here. I could go anywhere, but I choose this space because I think Worcester is an amazing city that has a lot more potential. I know we’ve come a long way in the past 10 years, but I think in the next 10-20 years it’s

ELIZABETH BROOKS

just going to be even more fantastic.

Can you describe your career trajectory up to this point? Doing things for money that I didn’t want to do. I guess that sounds bad. I should say, I was in the corporate world doing mapping and graphics.

GIS. Working with utility companies and that sort of thing. And that was fine, but I found myself day to day, week to week, just sort of looking at what my 401(k) contribution was and how many paychecks it was going to take for me to retire 30 years down the road. I decided that I would rather be enjoying my life now. There’s a Venn diagram of what benefits the community, what you can get paid for, and what you are inspired by. I think that should be everyone’s goal. I find that brewing kombucha is healthful and helpful to people. I enjoy drinking it and I think it fills a need. I aspire to be like Polar someday in that I want KrafTea Kombucha to become one of the things that Worcester is known for.

For people who aren’t familiar, how would you describe kombucha? It’s a fermented tea. We start with a blend of tea and add it to a culture that has already been fermented. You can think of it in the same way that yogurt is made. You take a culture and add it to milk and that whole thing becomes the culture. It’s a fermentation process that has carried on for centuries.

It’s probably 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Kombucha originated somewhere in East Asia. There’s a lot of different stories about how it may

and you’ve got a 10 gallon fermenter. I’m sure that I can make that work.” And he said, “Let me check if it’s legal.” We found out that he could legally brew it there under the 3Cross license and I could include my trademark for Kraftea Kombucha.

Can I see the mother?

Of course. The mother grows on top. It’s really kind of spectacular. It grows on the surface of whatever size vessel you have. So whether it be 200 gallons or 2 gallons, it’ll be the size of the container. In the winter, I have to keep them warm.

They’re insulated now.

They’ve got jackets on them and everything.

have come around. I started with a culture that I got from the “golist.” A friend of a friend had been doing it for awhile and gave me some. I started with a gallon and it worked pretty well. I liked it. I drank it. Then I started giving it to friends and sharing it in my circles and they all started enjoying it.

When I’d get invited to parties they’d be like, “Hey, can you bring some of that? Because we really liked that.” One gallon became

two, became five and I realized at that point that they weren’t just being nice. They actually did like it.

When did you decide to scale up? 3Cross Brewery had just opened six months prior and I’ve always been a big fan of beer, so I was going there a lot and talking to [founder] Dave [Howland]. He had so much space. I said, “Look, I’ve been doing five gallon batches

Low ABV beers and sour beers are so popular right now, it seems inevitable that kombucha will continue to build a following. I think so, too.

Yesterday, in fact, I had a meeting with the Massachusetts Brewers Guild.

I’m a member because the federal government considers kombucha beer; therefore, the state considers kombucha a beer. I don’t think it makes a lot of sense, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s a really good organization to be a part of, especially when there’s a legislation that we need to get passed.

Is there a piece of legislation that you are particularly passionate about right now? The thing that will help me most is the bill that supports the sale of craft beer at farmers’ markets.

— Sarah Connell

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N O V E M B E R 8 - 14, 2018